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The Colour of Ink + Introduction (U*)

The Old Ways

,Cinema 1
The Colour of Ink

A captivating portrait of a man who makes ink made from foraged nature, and the coterie of artists he supplies. 

Based in Toronto, Canada, Jason Logan makes ink with ingredients foraged from the wild: weeds, berries, bark, flowers, rocks, rust. A former illustrator himself, he supplies his custom-made inks to cartoonists, calligraphers and tattoo artists across the world.  

As well as showing the artists receiving and using these precious vials, the film follows Jason on selected field trips, sourcing materials from landscapes ranging from the wildfire-charred hills of Malibu to a white-marble quarry in Tuscany. Like a good wine, his ink has a “terroir”: it tells the story of the place it comes from.  

A wonderfully tactile film, as you would hope and expect of a film about ink, The Colour of Ink also confronts us with the effort behind craftmanship and the making of art.  

Tagged with: Cinema The Old Ways

We welcome artist and calligrapher Soraya Syed, who features in the film, for an introduction.

This screening is a UK premiere. 

Soraya Syed is a classically trained calligrapher and artist dedicated to bringing the ancient art of Arabic calligraphy into the 21st century through film, dance, VR, and three-dimensional sculptures. Her work is celebrated for its capacity to transcend boundaries of tradition and reimagine the written word as embodied movement and a form of visual devotion that speaks beyond language and belief.  

Film information
  • Release year   2022
  • Country of origin   Canada
  • Director   Brian D Johnson
  • Runtime   1hr 45mins

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Cinema 1

Location
Barbican Cinema 1 is located within the main Barbican building on Level -2. Head to Level G and walk towards the Lakeside Terrace where you’ll find stairs and lifts to take you down to the venue floor.   

Address
Barbican Centre
Silk Street, London
EC2Y 8DS

Public transport
The Barbican is widely accessible by bus, tube, train and by foot or bicycle. Plan your journey and find more route information in ‘Your Visit’ or book your car parking space in advance.